


Stargazing

by Skyescraper



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Historical, M/M, Reincarnation, but they're here, klance, much fluff, the major character deaths aren't graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 19:56:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14316018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyescraper/pseuds/Skyescraper
Summary: They met again and again. they were a constant in each others lives.Maybe the universe wanted to tell them something?





	Stargazing

The night they met each other for the first time was a warm, clear one. The stars twinkled on the dark sky above Lance, as he flopped on his back, indifferent of the white tunic, which would be stained later. He had to get some fresh air, the city behind the hills suffocated him, made him restless.

He hadn't sold enough fabrics, they most likely wouldn't be able to buy food tomorrow.

His eyes traced the bright specks of light, finding different figures and forms in the dots. He liked gazing at them. They were always the same, no matter how difficult living became in Athens or how much he just wanted to run away and explore more of the world. He couldn't, after all, his family needed him.

Soft footsteps made him scramble up, seconds later, a dark figure made themselves seen, stopping in their tracks as they saw Lance lying on the brittle grass.

They stared at each other, before the stranger asked, hesitantly: “Mind if I join?” Lance shook his head.

The young man sat down next to him, his fine robes bunching up below him. He obviously was one of the richer citizens, his paler skin and expensive tunic showing him, he wasn't outside as often as the average person.

They sat in silence, staring up at the stars and listening to the crickets chirping.

~

They met again. Keith, as the stranger was called, knew some stories about the constellations above them. Lance liked his voice.

The occasional meetings turned to some kind of a ritual. The stranger turned to a good friend and soon to the best friend Lance had. Soon, he began feeling more than friendship.

They kissed for the first time during a cloudless night, while the hills in the far distance glowed red from fires.

Fires destroyed their part of the city not long after. Keith never saw Lance again. His chest felt like someone had ripped out a huge part of his soul. He knew, Lance wasn't here anymore.

**

They found each other again, children of a few summers playing with wooden swords. They grew up in a small village, dirty and poor, but they were best friends, often sneaking out to watch the strange lights in the skies during the time the sun was gone.

Keith had no parents, he lived with an old woman. The villagers once had told Lance, that she was a witch and not to be trusted. Lance still liked Keith, he was nice. And he was good with his wooden sword, unlike Lances brother.

Soon, wooden swords became axes and real swords, rakes and hammers. They had to help their families to survive. Still, they met during the calm and cool nights, listening to the old tales Keith heard from the woman he lived with.

Keith wasn't liked by the villagers. They saw him plucking and collecting herbs too often. They began blaming illnesses on him, set their dogs on him.

Lance still liked him. Maybe a little bit too much, but when Keith kissed him one night, he knew, he wasn't alone. They went further than just kissing, they laid together one night, Lance knew then, he was in love with Keith. A man. Probably a witch.

Some days later, his brother came home with grains, telling their mother how they burned a witch on the market place, and Lance knew, he wouldn't see Keith ever again.

The burning hole in his chest was proof enough.

**

Their next lives were short as well, Lance knew he had gotten the black disease as he felt himself getting weaker. His mother already died some days ago, as well as more of the half of the town. He still got up and tried to obtain food for his still healthy sister.

He didn't get any food, people shying back from him and avoiding him. He coughed.

He met Keith during a clear night. He gave him some breads, more than he could've asked for. And he knew he had known Keith before. Just not in this life.

Or maybe it was the fever speaking.

Lance died a few days after meeting him. Keith didn't make it much longer.

 

**

They had to wait for a long time before they found each other again. Screams and explosions erupted around them, friends and strangers left them day after day and Lance was tired.

He just wanted to go home. But he couldn't. He could only hope to survive this war.

The night after the battle was silent. He had left the camp, not too far, but far away to not hear the pained screams of injured soldiers anymore. The sky was cloudless, the stars shining in their comforting light. They always were the same, centuries old and never changing.

He found Libra and the Big Dipper before someone joined him. His black hair was a bit too long in Lances opinion, but they talked a lot during that night. He even knew some more constellations.

They both survived the next day and met again. Telling old stories and memories. Feeling like they knew each other for ages. Lance like Keith, he was a clever man, fighting for the right purposes.

The day after that, Lance waited for him, but he didn't come.

Nor the day after this one.

He never came again. The painful thudding in his chest told him enough.

 

**

College always had been a dream of Lance. He loved the parties, he loved the friends he made, he loved being a soccer player for his city.

He loved the girls who came with popularity. But most of all, he loved Keith, the excel student with the broody aura.

They met each night, kissing desperately and telling each other sweet nothings. Keith was softer than he let on, and Lance was a bit more of a romantic than he told the girls.

Lance was smitten. And soon he lost some part of his reputation, when he kissed Keith in public, outing them both in one go. But they were in the 21st century. Nobody really cared, just some simple-minded bullies, but they didn't matter.

Keith found a gorgeous place on the beach and showed it to Lance during a star- littered night. He asked him to marry him. College love, young and wild, but true and deep. And Lance knew they belonged to each other.

They drove home with Keith's red motorcycle, the truck didn't see them taking the turn.

They never arrived back at the college dorms.

 

**

He always had loved stargazing, but being in space, surrounded by stars and planets made the whole thing a bit duller. The constellations were strange, unknown, and he couldn't find new ones, no matter how hard he tired.

Hunk once told him he had seen a constellation close to Andromeda, but the next day they had jumped through a wormhole and left the solar system, leaving the Andromeda- like constellation. Lance didn't like this, but it was just how it was.

He couldn't stop searching for them, though. Each night, he found himself on the observatory again, looking at the bright nebulae, the strange planets moving past the steadily traveling Castle of Lions. Sometimes he glimpsed a clutter of stars, which could be a constellation, but he couldn't name them. He didn't even need to find the ones he knew from back on Earth. He just wanted to see forms and figures. 

One night, Keith found him. Instead of disappearing into the training room, he joined Lance. At first they didn't talk, they just enjoyed the closeness and comfort of another person, but after a few days, they began talking. About Earth. About their families, about the things they missed. About their dreams and hopes for the future.

Lance learned, Keith was a lot easier to talk to than he had thought.

But mainly, the kept gazing at the stars. Keith was better at finding constellations and it didn't feel as hopeless as before, the stars showed them familiar shapes and forms, showing them a part of Earth, even that far away from the blue planet.

~

The Fryan were a spiritual species. As soon as the paladins landed on the planet, Lance complained about the heavy scents of incense cones, and the others agreed. The smell made them dizzy, but there could nothing be done about that.

The alliance with them was important, and some strong smelling incense couldn't change that. Shiro ushered them forwards to the leader of the Fryan.

They were pale, their skin almost translucent, but still having different, light hues. Their eyes had no irises, which was creepy. You just didn't know where they were looking at right now. He muttered his thoughts to Pidge, who snorted a bit too loud at that, capturing the attention of the Fryan around them.

Lance blushed slightly, hoping snorting wasn't a offending sound on this planet.

They turned back to talk with Shiro and Allura after a few more seconds of staring, which made Lance more than uncomfortable. They seemed to observe him, as if they knew something, he didn't.

As Lance had said, creepy.

~

They had gotten rooms to sleep in for the time they were on the planet. Which wasn't that long, but the Fryan were a very hospitable species, apparently. And apparently, it was a custom for visitors, to dress in traditional Fryrian clothes when attending a celebratory meal. Long, flowing fabrics in strange color combinations, Lance just couldn't seem to figure out.

Hours later, he still hadn't.

A knock on his door made him groan out loud. “Come in.” he mumbled, holding up a long piece of fabric, which apparently functioned as a cape? Or was it a part of the pants?

Keith stepped into Lances room, his own Fryrian outfit hugging his form perfectly.

“How?” Lance asked, outraged, and Keith chuckled softly.

“The thing you're holding right now is the front side of their equivalent of shirts.” he explained and Lance huffed.

“Doesn't look like it” he mumbled and Keith grinned, stepping closer to him.

“Do you mind-?” he asked, hands ready to help Lance putting on the fabric and he shook his head. Within a few minutes, he was finished, no knots, no tangles in his outfit and it suited him surprisingly well.

And Lance most definitely hadn't gotten goosebumps from the occasional touch of Keith's hands. Their latest sessions of stargazing had given Lance some problems. He slowly had gotten to know him better. He had begun to see Keith as a surprisingly layered person, with his own past, wishes and little quirks, he liked a lot.

He liked Keith a lot, and he tried to push these feelings far, far away. They were in space. They were at war. There was no time for cutesy feelings.

Things like dressing together didn't help his mission at all.

~

The meal was tasty. They didn't know a single of the meats and fruits they got served, but they were still tasty. It seemed like the alliance was a sure thing, the leader of the Fryans was relaxed, even Allura allowed herself to let go of her stern and regal attitude.

“I am very glad we are allowed to join the coalition” the leader of the Fryan chirped, they stood up and smiled at the paladins. “Thats why we want to give some presents” he waved, and some servants joined them on their side, holding out tablets with peculiar things on them.

“I hope they will be of use for you, princess and paladins.” they chirped and Allura smiled, nodding.

“Thank you, Reihon. They unquestionably will be”

Ah, they were called Reihon. Nice to know.

“I must insist, that the red and blue Paladin receive these flasks.” the leader spoke up, making Lance flinch slightly, Keith being just as startled next to him.

“Uh-” Keith began, but Reihon interrupted him, taking the two flasks into their hands.

“You two have a deep and extremely rare connection in the universe. We, with our spiritual nature, have the ability to recognize this connection. It is a very lucky occurrence, to meet you two here. We want to aid you, seeing which connection you share.” they held the flasks towards them, and Lance took one of them, albeit with a bit of hesitation.

“If this connection doesn't exist, the potion in the flasks won't work. Be assured, it is not of danger.” they smiled, which didn't look reassuring at all and Lance chuckled nervously.

“Please, Paladins, do us the honor and use the present here and now.” Reihon insisted and Lance looked at Keith, who seemed as unsure as he himself.

“Uh- let's go for it?” he asked and Keith shrugged, uncorking the flask. Then he downed the crystalline liquid in it in one go. Lance gaped. He had to beat him again, didn't he? He hurried to drink his own potion.

Promptly, darkness encased him and he gasped, feeling as if he floated in the dark, endless emptiness.

After a few seconds, the scenery built up around him, he recognized ancient Greek buildings, people bustling on a market place, the sun beating down on them. Then he saw himself, selling fabrics, smiling at strangers.

His eyes widened.

The scenery changed, they were on a dry grassed hill. Keith lying next to him, stargazing.

Then, the city burned, and he knew what had happened.

Again, the scenery changed.

Middle ages, dirt, wooden carriages. Hunting witches. Again, he knew.

It continued. The Black Death. The First World War. A college in the 21st century.

He had lived so many lives in the past. Had been reborn years later. And died again, and again.

But one person had been there. Always. Like the constellations in the night skies.

Keith.

Lance gasped as realization crashed down on him and he found himself at the table, Hunks worried gaze on him. He wiped the tears off his cheeks.

Keith.

He whirled around to find Keith staring at him, his eyes huge and watery as well. Keith. The one person he had found over and over again. He fell in love with over and over again.

He swallowed.

Just like in this life.

He grabbed Keith's wrist and tugged him away, he needed a moment. He needed to talk to him. Keith followed him without any protest, the stares of their friends following them.

“Lance- wait-” Keith mumbled, clutching his hand and stopping him.

“Hey, it's okay here.” he said, his hand not letting go of Lances.

They were in a dark corridor, away from the noise of the diner hall. Lance took a deep breath, feeling the still wet trails on his cheeks. Keith came closer as he wiped away one of them.

Lance huffed out his breath and hugged Keith, he needed to feel his warmth, his beating heart. Needed to make sure he was real. Alive. After all the deaths they had to go through.

“It's okay. I'm here.” Keith whispered, just as if he knew what exactly Lance needed to hear in that moment.

“You don't seem to be very surprised.” mumbled Lance, head still buried in the crook of Keith's neck.

“I am. But at the same time I am not. You always felt familiar to me, like I've known you since forever.” he chuckled. “I guess that's true now.”

Lance smiled. Yeah. They knew each other since forever. They loved each- he pulled back. Did they?

One way to find out.

Lance was not the impulsive one of them, but today, he was.

He tugged Keith closer as his gaze fell on his lips. Keith could pull back, he knew what he wanted to do now. But he didn't, he let himself be pulled into a kiss. Soft. Slow. Exploring.

But it felt familiar. Like everything else. Like coming home. Like the constellations in the skies.

“I've missed you.” Lance mumbled after they had separated. It was true. An aching in his chest was soothed, something new bloomed and he smiled. Yeah, he had missed Keith, he simply hadn't known.

They didn't rejoin the celebration. Lance led Keith to his room and they laid on the bed, limbs intertwining, gazes meeting. They told each other stories, memories and tales. Not only from this life, but the one before and then from the ones even earlier.

When the sun of the planet had set, Lance opened the wide windows, letting in the soft night breeze. They were still there, stargazing, finding new constellations every few minutes and dropping soft kisses on the skin of the other.

They would make sure that this life would be the one ending in their favor.


End file.
